Friday, July 22, 2016

The "Gospel" of ProsperityThe gospel of prosperityIs sold with such sincerityAnd has such popularitySome fail to see disparityBetween the Lord's plain clarityAnd self-serving barbarity!I hope someday posterityWill love with regularityAnd look back with hilarityAt how "they" missed faith's verity.

Scott l. Barton

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Hosea 11:1-11

The Real "Old Testament God"I read a review of the Requiem - Verdi's -Which spoke of the fear of "Old Testament God;"I think that ubiquitous term is a pity,"Advanced" as we are, who "that God" could not laud;A dose of Hosea would do us a favor,To hear God described as One yearning for love,Who lifted the children, with tenderness, kissing,But then, like a parent, got back-handed shoved;It makes you just ache, which then turns into anger,But being the lover, God knows how to wait;And when there is trouble, the child returning,And needing the things that this God can create,Then finds this "Old Testament God" such a blessing,Who roars like a lion protecting the young,Whose wrath is directed towards all that would keep GodFrom being the One to whom praises are sung.

Scott L. Barton

When Israel was a child, I loved him,and out of Egypt I called my son.The more I called them,the more they went from me;they kept sacrificing to the Baals,and offering incense to idols.Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,I took them up in my arms;but they did not know that I healed them.I led them with cords of human kindness,with bands of love.I was to them like thosewho lift infants to their cheeks.I bent down to them and fed them.They shall return to the land of Egypt,and Assyria shall be their king,because they have refused to return to me.The sword rages in their cities,it consumes their oracle-priests,and devours because of their schemes.My people are bent on turning away from me.To the Most High they call,but he does not raise them up at all.How can I give you up, Ephraim?How can I hand you over, O Israel?How can I make you like Admah?How can I treat you like Zeboiim?My heart recoils within me;my compassion grows warm and tender.I will not execute my fierce anger;I will not again destroy Ephraim;for I am God and no mortal,the Holy One in your midst,and I will not come in wrath.They shall go after the Lord,who roars like a lion;when he roars,his children shall cometrembling from the west.They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,and like doves from the land of Assyria;and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

About Me

I grew up in the church. I remember my 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School teachers at the Niskayuna (NY) Reformed Church, was baptized and confirmed at Bakerstown (PA) Presbyterian Church where I wrote my first sermon; gave a Youth Sunday sermon at my home church, New Hartford (NY) Presbyterian Church; went to Haverford College and Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Pastorates: Sackets Harbor (Presbyterian), Heuvelton (Presbyterian) and Potsdam (Presbyterian), New York; Bennington, Vermont (Old First Congregational); and Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania (Collenbrook - Presbyterian and U.C.C.), and a “bridge” pastorate at First Congregational Church, Hadley (U.C.C.). I have files upon files of poems for all kinds of occasions, including family greeting cards and personal notes, farewell accolades to colleagues, hymns, and things that just struck my fancy. Retired, I write a poem each week on a lectionary passage. I hope it helps preachers or anybody else who wants to get started thinking about a text in a new way.
Member Tanglewood Festival Chorus in Boston; previously: The Philadelphia Singers Chorale, and Da Camera Singers and Ars Cantorum in Amherst. Tweet @lectionarypoems